Henry levy



(No Model.)

H. LEVY. DEVICE FOR SECURING COVERS TO FRAMES. No. 467,980.

Patented Feb. 2, 1892.

ATTORNEYS WIN 8858:

views.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY LEVY, OF NEX V YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND ADOLPIIIIIRSH, OF SAME PLACE.

DEVICE FOR SECURING COVERS TO FRAMES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. &67,98 0, datedFebruary 2, 1892.

Application filed July 9, 1890. Serial No. 358,153. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY LEVY, of New York city, in the county andState of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Devicesfor Securing Covers to Frames, of which the followingis afulhclear, andexact description.

My invention relates to devices for securing covers to frames, and hasfor its object to provide a means wherehyacoveras netting, for exampleinay be expeditiously, conveniently, and neatly applied to a frame andremoved therefrom without danger of chipping, scratching, or otherwisemarring its appearance.

A further object of the invention is to so construct the devices thatthey will be exceedingly economic, light, and adjustable to frames ofall sizes.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying; drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar figures and letters of referenceindicate corresponding parts in all the Figure 1 is aperspective view ofone corner of a picture-frame, viewed from the front and illustratingtheapplication of the devices. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a corner ofa frame, viewed from the rear and illustrating the application of amodified form of the invention. Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the rearclamping-plate illustrated in position in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an edge viewof the said clamping-plate. Fig. 5 is an edge view of the fronttie-plate in position, a portion of the glass and a portion of the framebeing shown in section. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the rear clamping-plateillustrated in position in Fig. 2, and Fig. 7 illustrates two suchplates attached to the respective ends of a piece of tape.

The prime object of the invention is to provide devices which will ofthemselves effectually retain a protective fabric or covering inposition upon a frame, and to provide for the expeditious adjustment ofthe devices to frames of different depths.

In the construction illustrated in Fig. 1 the device consists of aclamping plate A, a tieplate B, and a connecting cord or tape D. \Vhenthe clamping-plate is to be applied to the corner of a frame, it isconstructed with two members 10 and 11, one at an angle to the other, asshown in Fig. 3, and each member at its side edge hasformed thereon aflange 12. In the flange of each member, preferably near the outer edge,a tapering slot 13 and an adjoining aperture 14 are produced. When aclamping-plate is designed for engagement with the side of the frame,its contour varies from that above describedas, for instance, the platemay consist of a single flanged member, and the slot and aperture arelocated nearer the center than the ends of the flange.

The tie-plate B, when adapted for use in a corner, consists of anessentially-triangular body 15, having side flanges 16,the longitudinaledges of which flanges are offset to form lips 17, extending outward ina plane parallel with the body, and near the apex of the body a tongue18 is constructed; or a hook or a stud or the equivalents thereof may besubstituted, if desired. If a tie-plate is needed between the corners ofthe frame, it may be constructed to correspond to the contour of oneside of the corner-plate. In this event the tongue may be located at anydesired point between the ends of the plate.

The cord D employed is preferably an elastic cord, and the devices abovedescribed are applied in the following manner: A strip 19 of any desiredmaterial is placed upon the frame, the said strip being of suflicientwidth to extend from the front inner edge over the rear edge. Atie-plate B is located at each inner cornerof the frame, the flangesthereof engaging with the inner edges of the molding 20, as shown inFig. 1, and by thus engaging the flanges the lips 17 of the plates areforced between the molding 20 and the glass 21, and carry with them theinner edge of the coverstrip, as represented in Fig. 5. The elasticcords D are passed over the tongues 18 of the tie-plates and the ends ofthe, cords are drawn rearward, one at each side of the corners of theframe, and passed outward through the apertures 14 of the clamping-plateA, and then down through the larger portion of the tapering slots 13.\Vhen the cords hzwe been properly adjusted, those portions passingthrough the slots 13 are drawn into the contracted ends of the slots,and by reason of the tapering walls are firmly held to place. Theattachment of the devices is completed by carrying the clamping-platesto the back of the frame, thereby exerting tension upon the cords andseating said plates at the corners, as shown in Fig. 1, the flanges ofthe plates resting upon the sides and ends of the frame and their bodyportions bearing against the rear face of the frame.

The cover needs no other means of attach-- ment than the devices abovedescribed, as the front tie-plates effectually bind the inner edge ofthe cover to the frame and the rear clamping-plates firmly hold the rearedge .of the cover in position. The cords Dare placed under sufficienttension only to hold the connected tie and clamping-plates in position,and therefore the said cords do not in the least injure the corners ofthe frame over which they pass.

The modification shown in Fig. 2' diifers from the devices illustratedin Fig. 1 only in. the means for securing the elastic cords to the backof the frame. The clamping-plates A are substituted by platesconstructed with but a single member, comprising a shank andabody-section. In the end of the shank an eye 22 is formed, and also anaperture corresponding to the aperture 14 in the angle-plate, and in thebody the tapering slot 13 is produced, the reduced end of which slotextends into the shank, while the opposite end is wider than thecorresponding portion of the slot in the angle-plate, as shown in Fig.6. In connection with this form of clamping-plates hooks 23 or theirequivalents are employed, which hooks are secured in any suitable orapproved manner to the back of the frame. The hooks usually constituteextensions of keepers 24, which keepers are preferably of correspondingcontour with the corner clamping-plates A, the keepers being screwed orotherwise attached to the back. As a. matter of convenience, saidkeepers are provided: with three hooks; but the number of hooks may beincreased or decreased as oo- 'casion may demand.

Vhen two cords are employed at the corners of the frame, each end ofeach cord is passed through the aperture 14 of a clampingplate, andafter proper adjustment the ends of'the cord are made to enter thecontracted endsof the tapering slots 1'3',the operation of attachingtheplates to the frame being completed by hooking the plates to thekeepers, one near each end of the latter, as shown in Fig. 2.

The elastic cord may be substituted bytapes D, also elastic, andillustrated in Fig. 7, in which event the modified form ofclampingplates is employed,---one being located at each end of the tape,and a connection is effected between the clamping-plates and tapes bypassing the ends of the latter through the eyes 22 of the plates andinto engagement with the converging walls of the tapering slot. Whentapes are substituted for the cords, but

' one tape is used at the corner of the frame,

the tapes being made to engage with the corner surfaces, and oneclamping-plate of each tape is engaged by the tongue 18 of the fronttie-plate and the other clamping-plate is carried to an engagement withthe central hook of the keeper.

Having thus described my invention, I claim. as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. A picture-frame clamp consisting of a member forengagingthe outer side of a frame, a member for engaging the inner frontside of the frame, and an intervening portion connected to said membersand constructed to retain them in engagement with the frame.

2. The combination, with a tie-plate adapted to secure one edge of acover to the inner edge of a frame and. a cord attached to thetie-plate, of a clamping-plate provided with an aperture and an adjacenttapering slot to receive and bind the free end of the cord, whichclamping-plate is adapted for attachment to the rear of the frame,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination, with atie-plate provided with marginal lips adapted to enter between themolding of'the frame and its glass, of a clamping-plate provided with anaperture and an adjacent tapering-slot, the said clamping,- plate beingadapted for attachment at the back of the frame, and an elasticconnection between the tieplate and clampingplate, substantially asshown and described.

4. As an improved article of manufacture, a tie-plate for frame-covers,provided'with a marginal lip located at an angle to the body, and atongue upon the face of the body, substantially as and. for the purposespecified.

5; As an improved article of manufacture, a clamping-plate adapted. forengagement with the back of a frame, the said platebcing angular incross section and provided with a tapering-slot, and an apertureadjacent tothe slot, as and for the purpose set forth.

- HENRY LEVY. \Vitnesses:

J. F. AOKER, O. SEDGWICK.

